President Ma Ying-jeou met with Rotary International President Elect Kalyan Banerjee and Mrs. Banerjee at the Presidential Office on the morning of August 3. In addition, several of Taiwan’s Rotary International districts were represented at the meeting by their new district governors and their spouses. The president expressed his appreciation for the assistance provided by Rotary clubs in the Taipei Deaflympics last year, and for the help that Rotary members will provide at the Taipei International Flora Exposition later this year.
The president remarked that Taiwan's Rotary International clubs embrace the spirit of "service above self." In addition to providing assistance last year during the Taipei Deaflympics, the organization will also be helping with the 2010 Taipei International Flora Exposition, which is scheduled to get underway in November of this year, he said, adding that he deeply admires the service spirit of the organization.
President Ma noted that Rotary International has long worked to eradicate polio around the world, and also works to promote health and alleviate hunger, water shortages, and illiteracy. Rotary International has made enormous contributions in this respect, and is one of the world's most important international service organizations. Rotary International's clubs in 168 jurisdictions currently have over 1.2 million members, including some 20,000 in Taiwan.
The president stated that while Taiwan was once an "importer of compassion," it has now transformed into an exporter of humanitarian aid and assistance. Taiwan donated over US$50 million, for example, after a tsunami in Indonesia in 2004. In addition, the government and people of Taiwan provided donations and material assistance of US$20 million to Haiti after that nation suffered a devastating earthquake in January of this year, he said. Taiwan is also providing financial assistance to between 8,000 and 10,000 orphans in Haiti, and is helping to build 1,200 permanent residences and set up a vocational training center and a public health center. The president noted that some 230,000 people in Taiwan have provided financial assistance to underprivileged children around the globe, meaning that about one in 100 Taiwanese is involved in this type of charity.
President Ma pointed out that there are presently 540 Rotary clubs throughout Taiwan, and they have established a service platform to foster cooperation among themselves. He noted that Taiwan’s Rotary clubs carried out a drive to fund the purchase of 108 buses for the disabled, thus providing invaluable assistance to those in need.
The president added that the Rotary clubs have been pioneers in international youth exchange activities, and pointed out that Education Minister Wu Ching-ji recently led a delegation of over 10 college and university presidents to hold Taiwan education fairs in Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia. The group examined opportunities to open branch campuses in those countries and also sought to recruit students. The president said he hopes that Rotary International can serve as a bridge between Taiwan and Southeast Asian nations.
Rotary International President Elect Kalyan Banerjee and Mrs. Banerjee, along with the new district governors of several Rotary International districts in Taiwan, were accompanied to the Presidential Office in the morning by Taipei City Mayor Hau Lung-bin to meet President Ma. Also attending the meeting was Deputy Secretary-General to the President Liu Bao-guey.